1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a commercial sending system for automatically creating a record list of commercial materials to be broadcast from a broadcasting station.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 shows an example of a commercial sending system using a VCR. Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the commercial sending system will be described.
For example, the commercial sending system shown in FIG. 8 is composed of a recording side host computer 307 (that is referred to as APC (Auto Program Controller)), a sending side host computer 311, a recording side controller 309, a commercial material storing portion 313, and a sending side controller 312. The recording side controller 309 reproduces a commercial material from a commercial material reproducing unit 306 corresponding to a send list (referred to as a play list) created with the recording side host computer 307 by a recording operator 314 or automatically created by the recording side host computer 307. The commercial material storing portion 313 stores the commercial material reproduced from the commercial material reproducing unit 306. The sending side controller 312 controls the commercial material storing portion 313 corresponding to a command received from the sending side host computer 311.
A line connecting the recording side host computer 307 and the recording side controller 309 and a line connecting the sending side host computer 311 and the sending side controller 312 represent passes through which the above-described play list is sent. Reference numeral 308 is a flexible disk that stores a play list created by the recording side host computer 307. When the flexible disk 308 is used, the recording side controller 309 has a reading portion (not shown) that reads play list information recorded on the flexible disk 308. Reference numeral 310 is a video tape cassette.
In such a commercial sending system that sends a commercial, the commercial material reproducing unit 306 and the CM material storing portion 313 may be for example an AV server or a cassette auto-change system that can record and reproduce many materials to be sent.
When a play list is directly supplied from the recording side host computer 307 to the recording side controller 309 or when a play list stored on the flexible disk 308 is loaded to the recording side controller 309, the recording side controller 309 detects the start position of the video tape cassette 310 and then places the commercial material reproducing unit 306 in the standby state (for example, pause state).
When a commercial material included in the play list has been recorded on the video tape cassette 310 loaded in the commercial material reproducing unit 306, a recording operator 314 operates the recording side host computer 307 so as to supply a reproduction command control signal from the recording host computer 307 to the recording side controller 309. The recording side controller 309 reproduces the commercial material from the video tape cassette 310 loaded in the commercial material reproducing unit 306 and supplies the commercial material to the commercial material storing portion 313.
At predetermined sending time, the sending operator 315 operates the sending side host computer 311 so as to supply a sending start control signal from the sending side host computer 311 to the sending side controller 312. Thus, the commercial material stored in the commercial storing portion 313 is aired.
However, in the conventional commercial sending system, when a commercial material included in the play list has not been recorded in the system, a status that represents that the commercial material included in the play list has not been recorded is sent to the sending side host computer 311. Thus, only the sending operator knows the state that the commercial material has not been recorded. The sending operator 315 asks the recording operator 314 to record the commercial material so that it is aired on time.
Thus, since the sending operator 314 should also monitor the recording state of commercial materials, he or she cannot devote himself or herself to the sending operation.
In addition, since the sending operator 315 should directly contact the recording operator 314, there are probabilities of which the sending operator 315 forgets to inform or incorrectly informs him or her of it.
Moreover, when the recording operator 314 receives a recording request, he or she should create a record list for recording the commercial material in the system or operates the recording side host computer 307 to load the commercial material. Thus, after the recording operator 314 receives the recording request for the non-recorded commercial material, the recording operator 314 should create the record list. Consequently, in such a case, the sending operator 315 and the recording operator 314 should perform very troublesome operations.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a commercial sending system that can easily record a commercial material that has not been recorded.
To solve the above-described problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a commercial sending system for sending a commercial from a broadcasting station, the system comprising a commercial material recording/storing means for recording and storing a commercial material, a record list storing means for storing a record list including record information of the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means, a send list storing means for storing a send list including send information of the commercial material sent from the commercial material recording/storing means, a commercial material database composed of storage information of the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means, a detecting means for comparing the send list stored in the send list storing means and the storage information of the commercial material database and detecting a non-recorded commercial material that is included in the send list and that is not included in the storage information, and a record list creating means for automatically creating the record list that includes record information of the non-recorded commercial material to be stored in the commercial material recording/storing means when the detecting means has detected the non-recorded commercial material.
To solve the above-described problems, a second aspect of the present invention is a commercial sending system for sending a commercial from a broadcasting station, the system comprising a commercial material recording/storing means for recording and storing a commercial material, a record list storing means for storing a record list including record information of the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means, a send list storing means for storing a send list including send information of the commercial material sent from the commercial material recording/storing means, a send list managing means for managing the send list stored in the send list storing means, a commercial material database composed of storage information of the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means, a commercial material database managing means for managing the storage information stored in the commercial material database, and an automatic record list creating means for automatically creating the record list including the record information of the non-recorded commercial material when a command signal that references the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means has been supplied from the send list managing means to the commercial material database managing means and the commercial material database managing means has detected the non-recorded commercial material that is included in the send list and that is not included in the commercial material database.
To solve the above-described problems, a third aspect of the present invention is a commercial sending method for sending a commercial from a broadcasting station, the method comprising the steps of (1) recording and storing a commercial material in a commercial material recording/storing means, (2) storing a record list including record information of the commercial material to be stored in the commercial material recording/storing means to a record list storing means, (3) storing a send list including send information of the commercial material to be sent from the commercial material recording/storing means in a send list storing means, (4) comparing a commercial material database composed of storage information of the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means with the send list and detecting a non-recorded commercial material that is included in the send list and that is not included in the storage information, and (5) automatically creating the record list including the record information of the non-recorded commercial material when the non-recorded commercial material has been detected at the step (4).
To solve the above-described problems, a fourth aspect of the present invention is a commercial sending method for sending a commercial from a broadcasting station, the method comprising the steps of (1) recording and storing a commercial material in a commercial material recording/storing means, (2) storing a record list including record information of the commercial material to be stored in the commercial material recording/storing means to a record list storing means, (3) storing a send list including send information of the commercial material to be sent from the commercial material recording/storing means in a send list storing means, (4) supplying a command signal for referencing the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means from a send list managing means for managing the send list stored in the send list managing means to a commercial material database managing means for managing a commercial material database composed of storage information of the commercial material stored in the commercial material recording/storing means and causing the commercial material database managing means to detect a non-recorded commercial material that is included in the send list and that is not included in the commercial material database, and (5) automatically creating the record list including the record information of the non-recorded commercial material when the non-recorded commercial material has been detected at the step (4).
As described above, according to the present invention, the send list and the commercial material database are compared. When there is a commercial material that is included in the send list, but not included in the commercial material database, a record list for recording the non-recorded commercial material is automatically created. Thus, a commercial material that has not been recorded can be easily recorded.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of best mode embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.